Guzman Guitars – Handcrafted Since 1948

We met the owners of the famous Guzman Guitars here in San Jose, Costa Rica and got an inside look at their guitar workshop where all the magic happens. Around the workshop are tattered notebooks scribbled full of their guitar-building secrets, passed down over 3 generations. Just being in their workshop made me want to build a guitar and start learning how to play. Such a beautiful craft.

The Guzman’s are now opening up their guitar-building secrets to the world. Our friend Karl took a shot in the dark and asked if he could learn from them and make his own guitar in their shop. To his delight, they said yes! After such a positive experience with Karl, the Guzman’s are excited to now offer personalized guitar-building workshops for anybody to come and build their own guitar.

Let’s help the Guzman’s sell more of their wonderful guitars than ever before by sharing this video to get the word out about their fantastic work! Thanks!

If you’d like to build your own guitar under the tutelage of the masters, you can email Tony directly at magufer@yahoo.es

Or, if you need a translator, I’d be more than happy to help – spencer@lostandfoundfamily.com

UPDATE: Today, 3 days after the video was posted, Tony emailed me that a guy came to buy a guitar because he saw the video! Thanks for sharing the video!

Yay! You guys haven’t given up! I was worried about that when I haven’t seen a post in the last couple of weeks but then, I realized it’s the holidays.

I really admire you guys for this adventure! Excellent video.

Gets me motivated enough to get me back on track with getting rid of another mountain of debt that i have built up again! One Day I will do what you guys have done but until then, keep posting these lovely posts!

Nope, haven’t given up! We spent last week in Nicaragua, which set us back a bit on the posting. I’m really excited about the videos and posts we’re working on right now which you will see come out over then next few weeks. Chisel down those mountains!

I first heard of Guzman Guitars in 2006 when I was planning a trip there with my wife who is from Costa Rica. I was online researching places to go, things to do, and I saw some web sites about Guzman Guitars and Aristides Guzman Guitars (different companies). Being a guitar player and a Guitar Collector of old Electric Guitars I started thinking about having a Custom Acoustic Guitar built to my own specifications. While in Costa Rica I saw many items made of Cocobolo wood. I think it is the most beautiful wood I have ever seen. I thought about having a guitar made in this wood. Since that time Cocobolo has become the new wood of choice for high end guitars. It is very expensive.

I’m 62 years old and play mostly hard rock music and I prefer 24 Fret Electric Guitars. A 24 Fret Guitar has the complete scale of a piano (high E). Most guitars have 22 Frets (high D) and many classical guitars only have 20 frets. I have looked for an Acoustic Guitar for years that would accommodate my style of playing but never really found anything close. I own a few acoustic guitars but never play them. I want a neck like an electric and a sound like a Classical. It does not exist. Nobody makes a 24 fret Classical Guitar.
Several months ago my wife took a trip back over there and I had her go to Guzman Guitars and talk with them about possibly making me a high end Custom 24 Fret classical guitar with a cutaway and fancy inlay in the neck and headstock. I wanted premium woods, spruce top and Cocobolo back and sides and yes 24 complete frets. I wanted the best of the best and I was willing to pay serious bucks for it. They agreed to make it if I would buy and send the Inlay over to them. I decided to take a chance and shell out several grand to build exactly what I wanted to my specs. I even sent them neck width measurements.

Sure, I could have bought a Gibson, Taylor or a Martin here in the US for the same money but it would not be near the quality or be made from Costa Rica Cocobolo wood. And yes I’m rolling dice here for high stakes, but I am a risk taker. This guitar will never re-sell for the price of a Martin or top US brand but I would probably get bored and sell those guitars and I will never sell the Guzman. This is a handmade guitar, with premium woods, from the blood, sweat and tears of a person who worked with his Father and Grand Father for 3 generations in the same shop. You can’t buy this kind of knowledge in America. Everything here is mass produced from a $15,000.00 CNC machine. I want character in a guitar. I want to smell saw dust when it arrives.

I am still waiting on them to complete it, but I receive pictures of the build stages every week or so. It’s trust from me and a labor of love from them. From what I have seen the build quality is awesome. A 33 piece Shell Rosette Inlay around the Sound Hole was a free surprise. It is superb. It has book matched back and sides of beautiful Cocobolo wood. So far I have been very impressed. The wife is over there now and has saw it and say it looks fantastic. It is in the final stages awaiting the Fret Board and Headstock Inlay. It will probably be done in another 4-5 weeks.

Understand Costa Ricans are not task-oriented, they move at their own pace, not yours. Remember that when dealing with them. I have had stuff made from there before and I learned while being in Costa Rica that a month means 3-4 months, 8am means noon, and that why they live to well into their 90’s. They do not stress out over deadlines. But that OK. The end results have always proven to be worth the wait.

Welcome

We're a family on an adventure to find deeper happiness and richer fulfillment in a different kind of living. We're leaving behind all the busyness, and going in search of adventure, service, learning, and love. Come join the journey!

Connect and Follow

Get New Posts via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.